Sunday links: Blackstone bonanza

18Mar07

Count us decidedly unsurprised that a major private equity firm is coming public. We previously described this as a “historic inevitability” due in part to the firm’s partners’ desire to build a “lasting legacy.” That being said there a a number of items this weekend on the Blackstone Group’s purported plans to pursue an initial public offering in the management company.

Roger Ehrenberg at Information Arbitrage thinks investors should “watch their wallets” before investing in a Blackstone IPO.

Barry Ritholtz at the Big Picture thinks the rumors are a “trial balloon” and doesn’t believe a deal is going to happen.

Andrew Ross Sorkin and Peter Edmonston in the New York Times on Blackstone’s potential “about face.”

Rob Cox at breakingviews.com on why Blackstone would forgo the benefits of private ownership for public scrutiny.

Mark DeCambre at TheStreet.com how one could view a Blackstone IPO as an “exit strategy.”